Keep Calm and Carrion: July 2014

Hi! I feel like it's been forever since I've sat down to write... actually, it has been quite a while! Eep! Being at my parents' house was just not conducive to being productive. I don't go home often, and this was the longest I've been back in a few years, and I got kind of wrapped up in relaxing instead of accomplishing anything. Sorry! I'm back now, and SO SO excited about this post.

I actually own a few patterns from Cozy Nest Design. A while ago Sarah posted a tester call for the Cozy Cakes Backpack and I thought it was insanely cute. Even though I didn't test it, I saw a lot of positive feedback from the testers, and they all seemed to really enjoy working with her, so I snatched it up as soon as it came out. And then I ended up getting a few others along the way. If you remember, I made the Little Bunny Poo Poo treat bag for my kids for Easter and it was a big hit. My friend Tiffany makes the Goody Good Gumballs Treat Bag for her shop (Tiff2any Designs) and they are adorable as well.

Either way, I've really liked working with Sarah's patterns, so when she said "blog tour?" I said, ME!

Cozy Nest Convertible/Reversible Bag Blog Tour with Keep Calm and Carrion

And here we are! Welcome to Day one of the Convertible/Reversible Bag Tour. Make sure you read till the end, as Sarah has graciously organized a lovely giveaway to go with the tour! This bag is pretty ingenious, actually. As you can see in the picture, it actually converts 4 ways, giving you 4 totally different bags. If you're newer to sewing, take it slow, and follow along carefully, and you'll be just fine. The bag calls for a bunch of different hardware, but it is easily adapted how you like (ie leaving off the D-rings or using snaps to end the straps instead of swivel hooks). Even her instructions for sewing on the zippers are clear and easy to follow!

When it comes to this bag, fabric selection took me just as long as sewing the bag did. Mostly because I was so excited about the idea that I could have two completely different looks all within one bag. For *Bag 1* I used a really pretty princess like pattern from Clothworks, and to be a little more trendy with *Bag 2* I went with a black and white for the main and did the contrast in a bright pink to make it pop.

My *Bag 1* is very everyday style for me. I'm calling the look "classy princess," and am seriously considering making myself a dress that matches... *Bag 1* has two options, a larger bag, which is perfect for everyday use - even when I toss in wipes and a diaper! And for the rare occasions that I make it out without the kids, I can fold it into the smaller option, which uses the same shoulder strap, but is perfect for those kid-free trips!

For *Bag 2* I attempted to go with something that was a little more eye catching. Something I would use when I was out with my friends shopping, maybe. And then, once our shopping trip was complete, I can turn it into the clutch with the fold-over flap to take with me to a nice quiet drink! (The following scenarios are all me reminiscing my pre-child days...shhhh) I totally love the little clutch version, and am dying for a chance to use it.

They look like two separate bags, right? It blows my mind how this is one bag that converts into all of these options. In fact, once I was done, I may have spent an absurd amount of time flipping from option to option in awe. I did my bag in quilting cottons, but if you use a laminated cotton, you would have a waterproof interior/exterior as well. AND the pattern includes instructions to make a little vinyl pouch to go in the bag for makeup and such.

If you haven't noticed, I have this slight obsession with organization. This is important because this pattern has a lot of pieces, and they can get a bit mixed up if you aren't careful. Sarah solves this dilemma perfectly - the pattern comes with printable labels that you can cut out and pin to your pattern pieces to keep them all organized as you work your way through constructing your bag. They are amazing. And the pattern itself is laid out so you can check off each piece that cut for the bags, and then check of step by step as you go through the pattern itself. The whole layout of the pattern made me so peaceful while sewing it. Even if it looks a little daunting from all the pieces, you will have no issue working your way through with the great system Sarah used! SO, if you haven't yet, hop over to her shop and pick up the pattern and start picking out your fabrics!

Thank you for stopping by to see my day of the tour! A huge thank you to Sarah as well for organizing the tour and for creating such an awesome pattern that was so much fun to work with. Lastly, thank you to the other bloggers, who have made prepping for the tour a lot of fun, they are so talented and creative! Make sure you stop over and check out the other awesome their posts this week...

Monday, July 28th

Maria of Mia's Creations

Niki Stringer of Roonie Ranching

Tuesday, July 29th

Lynn Potts of PottsCrafty

Marilyn Brandt at Shades of Bold

Alyssa Carrion at Keep Calm & Carrion

Wednesday, July 30th

Vicky Myers of Vicky Myers Creations ,

Liz Schaffner at MOMENTS

Sarah at Cozy Nest Design

Thursday, July 31st